Media Release
2 October 2013

Community given chance to visit an award winning farm

The Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Awards is inviting people with an interest in sustainable farming practices the chance to visit an award winning farm.

A field day will be held on 18 October Craige and Roz Mackenzie’s Methven Farm – National winners of the BFEA Awards.

The Mackenzie’s also won the Canterbury Regional 2013 Supreme Award, as well as the Environment Canterbury Water Efficiency Award, and Ballance Agri-Nutrient Nutrient Management Award.

Jocelyn Muller, the Canterbury Regional Coordinator for the Ballance Awards, said the field day at the couple’s Greenvale Pastures farm is a rare opportunity for people to see what makes an award winning farm.

“We are delighted to be able to provide members of the public with a chance to see why Craige and Roz won, and hear from the judges.

“The Ballance Farm Environment Awards recognise and celebrate that best practice on-farm management is both good for business, and good for the environment.

“We are sure plenty of people will be keen to see how this intensive irrigated arable operation runs, and how they might benefit from embracing and supporting sustainable farming practices,” she said.

The field day will include a tour of the farm to see how the Mackenzies utilise state of the art technology to maximise production in a sustainable manner, and ensure any associated environmental risks are carefully managed.

At the field day industry experts will also speak on a variety of topics including farm technology, soil composition and monitoring, biosecurity risks, resource use efficiency, hybrid seeds, and irrigation efficiency. Andy Macfarlane (Macfarlane Rural Business) will be the MC on the day.

Craige and Roz Mackenzie said being a part of the Ballance Farm Awards was a rewarding experience and it is important for farmers to share what they do.

“The awards are an excellent opportunity to showcase how we are improving economic and environmental outcomes by integrating technology and by empowering the next generation across our business in arable and pastoral.

“It’s important to be positively sharing what we do, farmers need to be profitable in the long-term and that means making sure we all look after the land and keep costs down.

“These awards help promote sustainable and profitable farming and provide learning opportunities for farmers, and we look forward to sharing our experiences with the community at the field day,” said Roz Mackenzie.

Both the regional and national judges recognised the couple’s strategic use of irrigation and dedication to water efficiency through the use of modern technology including water measuring and soil-mapping devices.

Once a 425ha mixed sheep and cropping family enterprise, the Greenvale property is now a 200ha intensive irrigated arable operation, which grows a range of seeds including hybrid carrot and radish, chicory, wheat, ryegrass, fescue, and faba beans. The remaining 225 ha is now part of their dairy enterprise, Three Springs Dairies Ltd.

Electromagnetic soil mapping allows a clear picture of water holding and productive capacity within specific zones, and the introduction of variable rate irrigation on centre pivots has increased productivity and saved up to 50% of water use.

Field Day information

Date: 18 October 2013, 10:00am (rain or shine)
Venue: Greenvale Pastures, 337 Reynolds Road Methven
Catering: BYO packed lunch, BBQ and refreshments will be provided from 3:30pm

For more information email: bfea@ecan.govt.nz or visit www.bfea.org.nz

ENDS

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